We need to understand how people in the Bible thought of light.

It was an essential—even in the poorest home—to have a lamp lit during the night. The house with a lamp was seen as prosperous, and the home without the night light was destitute. To be in utter darkness was understood to be a curse from God.

When the Bible speaks of those outside of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ it says they, “sit in darkness and the shadow of death.” Psalm 107:10; Luke 1:79.

On the other hand, the Psalmist says, what it is like to be blessed by God—“O Lord You keep my lamp burning” Psalm 18:28

So, when Jesus and the disciples came upon the man born blind as recorded in John 9, the disciples automatically assumed that either the man himself or his parents sinned in order for God to cause him to be blind and walk in darkness.

Jesus quickly corrected their defective theology and assured them that the man’s blindness was not due to sin on anyone’s part, rather it was a situation in which God would be glorified.

Often we think that afflictions are most certainly a punishment from God.

This is not the case in many instances. You will note that Jesus does not answer the question “Why the blindness?” but rather speaks to the purpose for the blindness.

In life we may never find out the why of our suffering— just as Job never found out why he had to suffer so dreadfully. But we can see purpose in the darkness we have, and that is the important thing.

The thing that so much irritates and hurts us may be turned into light by the gracious hand of God. We may find ways to glorify God through our darkness—that would never happen in light.

A friend of my wife was born blind. She was a real tomboy as a young person, climbing trees and doing all sorts of things that terrified her parents. She went to the W. Ross Macdonald School for the blind in Brantford , Ontario. Having a beautiful singing voice she decided to go to university and study music. She gained her degree and began a singing ministry and composed many beautiful spiritual songs.

She often spoke at women’s meetings telling the people what a wonderful gift she had of being blind. The temptations sighted people had she knew nothing about. She found life was better for her because of her condition. Once when she had spoken to a ladies function and told them about her walk with the Lord and how good her life was without sight, a lady came up to her after and said she wanted to pray for the blind lady and help her be healed from her blindness. After the misguided woman left, the lady said to my wife, “Did no one hear what I said? I regard my blindness as a gift.”

She was afraid that if she gained her eyesight her walk with the Lord would be negatively affected. She preferred blindness—and intimacy with God—to sight and distance from the Lord. She glorified God by submission to His will in her life.

Whatever the darkness is that you walk in today, be assured that if you're also walking with God, you shall soon see light. The suffering of this present time is not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in you as a child of God.

It is usually true that the people most like Jesus are the people who have walked with Him through the darkest valley of suffering. They are the ones who have the most blessed experiences of the Lord. They have the rough edges of sin broken off to reveal the beauty of the character of Jesus Himself.

Take this verse to your Father in heaven and plead for its fulfilment in your life. Call upon Him to be faithful to His promises. He waits to hear from you today.